"When you make a mistake, you must accept the consequences."
An hour later, the fresh wounds on my leg had transformed into the image of a vivid red rose. Drops of blood still oozed from the petals, making it look almost lifelike.
Red roses, Evie’s favorite flower. Her favorite color. The very same tattoo once marked her leg.
Carlos’s sharp gaze lingered on my pale face. His expression shifted, softening ever so slightly before he dismissed the others with a wave of his hand.
He knelt on one knee, his lips brushing against the rose etched into my skin. His kiss trailed upward, laced with a slow-burning desire.
"Remember, you’ll wear Evie’s favorite red dress. Be good, and I might consider returning one of your eggs. But don’t make a mistake like today again. You nearly let Stephen find out the truth. He belongs to Evie, no one else. No one will ever take her son from her."
Carlos had always been a man of control over others, over himself, over everything he touched.
So, the day I was brought into this house, he stripped me of my future. Every last egg was taken.
"A child is only mine if they come from Evie’s womb."